The Ultimate

Crib & Floor Bed sleep Guide

A REALISTIC, stress-free approach to introducing some independent sleep for your little one in a crib or floor bed

This is a 2+ week guide, step by step, with gentle, evidence-based techniques and an attachment focus.

 

I'll never suggest leaving your baby to cry it out- promise! 

This guide gives you everything you need to know before you get started, and walks you through exactly how to start putting your baby down for naps or nights in their own sleep space.

It covers tricky stuff that might come up like a 10-minute cat nap, and answers common questions like "what do I do when my baby flips out the second I put them down?!"

Everything you need to start getting some solo crib or floor bed sleep for your baby or toddler

  • 100-page PDF Guide with cheat sheets, charts, and other printables

  • Step-by-step for safety proofing, preparing your baby for the change, and getting started

  • Visuals and examples of how to set up the room and sleep space

  • Links to recommended products

  • FAQ and troubleshooting common hurdles

  • private podcast feed to listen to the content on the go

is your baby a chronic contact napper or cosleeper? love the cuddles but also desperate for some alone time? i’ve got you! in this comprehensive guide, You’ll learn:

  • How to set up your crib or floor bed & room for safety

  • How to create an ideal environment for sleep

  • Nailing your baby’s schedule for easier naps and bedtimes

  • How you should be swaddling & dressing your baby for sleep

  • How to prep & introduce the crib or toddler bed for the very first time

  • How to use sleep associations (YES you can still nurse to sleep if you want to!)

  • How to create a nap or bedtime routine you can stick to!

  • Step by step guide of starting to practice the crib/ bed sleep for naps & bedtime

  • How to support your child's emotion through the process

  • Troubleshooting common issues

  • Keeping your own mental health in tact

  • How to decide on a crib vs. floor bed

  • Safe cosleeping guidelines (just in case)

  • What to do if nothing works & red flags to look out for

  • Considerations for nighttime sleep, night wakings and weaning

    & SO much more!

 What They’re Saying

i’ve been there. trying to get your baby to nap in their crib can kind of suck.

Babies naturally want to be close to us and some just will NOT be put down. Maybe you love contact napping sometimes too! It’s OK to have mixed feelings about where your baby sleeps. It’s also OK to be totally OVER IT and ready for some independent sleep so you can have some time to catch up on work, chores, or simply relax.

Use this guide to achieve the occasional crib nap, the first stretch of the night in the crib, or work towards full-time solo sleep overnight. There’s also a HUGE floor bed section with everything you need to know (yes- including visual examples and links to recommended products!) should you choose to say ✌🏼 to the crib altogether.

This guide is

  • No predetermined schedules, wake windows you must follow, bedtimes or nap times. This guide is NOT one-sized fits all. Your baby is a unique individual!

  • No rules about how or when you must respond to your baby, advice on letting them “fuss” or cry it out for arbitrary lengths of time, or instructions on ignoring your baby. We’ll always encourage you to trust your gut and soothe your baby as needed.

  • Go at your own pace within the suggested framework or do your own thing! Continue coseeping at night o contact napping when you want some snuggles WITHOUT worrying that you’ll “ruin” progress made.

how is this approach different from “sleep training?”

You might be wondering what makes this guide "holistic" or "gentle" or, in simpler terms, not sleep training. It's tricky because everyone seems to have their own version of what sleep training is these days. For me, it's anything that goes against a child's biology and natural development. It's a set of behavioral techniques including things like controlled crying, forced separation, reducing or spacing feeds, or taking away supports that are normal and natural such as feeding baby to sleep. To me, sleep training teaches the parent to ignore their instincts and to resist comforting their baby the way they normally would- and we don’t do that here.

In this guide I’ll show you some tips for tuning into YOUR baby and providing them with comfort and reassurance in a way that will feel good and natural to both of you. No pick up/ put down, patting and shhhhh’ing, etc. for arbitrary lengths of time.

just think…

You could be just a few days away from having nap time become you time. And you don’t have to use cry-it-out or any other strict, rigid, old-school methods that make you feel like crap. You’ll get to support your baby the whole time and still snuggle them to sleep when you want to. WIN WIN! 🎉

FAQs

  • Well, in my experience, babies really thrive with as much close contact with their parents as possible through the newborn stage. That being said, you can certainly try this guide for your little one before 6 months! Some more easy-going types will be just fine taking some independent crib sleep earlier, and it’s never too soon to practice some low-pressure naps with a safe sleep set-up. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends room-sharing for at least 6 months. I discuss more about finding the right time and things to consider before you begin inside the guide!

  • This is a no-cry approach. There is no sleep training or timed crying intervals, forced separation or any other old-school methods. I do discuss tears and emotion and how to support your baby though!

  • This guide is designed to be gradual, gentle, and at your own pace. I lay out a sugested frame work of about 3 weeks to practice independent sleep. Some babies catch on much more quickly and for others it takes a bit longer. Babies aren’t robots so there are no guarantees!

  • Yes! This guide is super flexible, and breastfeeding and cosleeping friendly. You can absolutely have a mix of snuggly contact naps AND some independent naps, or keep cosleeping at night but do naps during the day in the crib- or anything in between! Do what works best for YOU! 🙌

  • The best part of this guide is the Private Podcast feature! Because I get it- you’re tired and have ZERO time to sift through tons of info. I created the beautiful, 100-page guide to be a great reference for you if you’re a visual learner or enjoy reading. There’s also lots of super helpful visual examples, charts and cheat sheets you can print out! But for you on-the-go types or auditory learners, the material can also be easily digested in chunks via podcast episodes.

    Inside the guide you’ll get a special link which will prompt you to “follow” the podcast feed on Apple, Google, or wherever else you like to listen to your podcasts. Pop me in your ears and let’s do this!

trust me when I say…

I have used these exact methods with my own kids as well as countless personal clients. The original Crib & Floor Bed Guide has helped THOUSANDS of families start their little ones in a crib or a bed for the very first time- whether they introduced it at 6 months old or 20 months old! I know you’ll find valuable information and get tons of reassurance as you work your way through. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to shoot me a message!

xo Rach

BTW- Hi! I'm Rachael. I'm a Pediatric Sleep Specialist, former teacher, and mom of 3. I left my 9-year teaching career when my daughter was born, after I decided on a whim to enroll in a Sleep Certification program. I was terrified of dealing with sleep deprivation again, and was desperately looking for answers that didn't include sleep training. What I found was a whole new passion and career path, PLUS a reinvigoration of my own motherhood journey.

I have loved working with babies and children for my entire life, but it wasn't until I became a mom that I understood just how truly all-consuming parenthood can be. Now in the age of social media, it's so hard for parents to sift through all the different philosophies on things like sleep and to know who they should trust. The information overload is so overwhelming! I get it, and I've been there too. I can promise you that I have tried it ALL with my own kids, and now that I'm a trained sleep specialist, I feel so confident in my methods and am beyond proud to share them with you!